In Pursuit Of Freedom
by Moonlit Dreaming
Summary: After five years, Leia is finally able to return to the sea. But before she can, tragedy strikes and she's faced with a terrible decision. Can she sacrifice everything to repay those who saved her? HM: DS, In Progress. Chapter 7 now posted!
1. Chapter 1: Playing Strawberry

**Disclaimer:** Harvest Moon is sadly not mine. Well. Sadly for me... not for anyone else.

**Author's note: **Okay. New long-fic. _Tales of Traveller_ isn't yet finished, I know, but I'm still working on it and I'm getting there. It was just that I really felt like I had to write up this idea when it came to me. Unlike most of the other things I've written, this isn't romance driven, and if I could pick another genre it'd probably be Family. So... enjoy and review!

Chapter 1 - Playing Strawberry

Five years is an extremely long time. You might be thinking that that's a _tiny_ bit of an exaggeration there. You might be right. I suppose if you were to spend five years mixing dangerous chemicals or conducting scientific experiments - or whatever it is I've been informed humans do for fun - then it wouldn't seem that long at all.

The last five years of _my_ live have been spent in steel tank, with only four grey walls and a dingy ceiling to stare at. I guess when you hear _that_, my previous statement makes a lot more sense, huh?

But I guess it could be worse. I could be dead. I _could_ have been killed quite easily in the very storm that brought me to Forget-Me-Not Valley. It just so happens that I was found - miraculously alive - by possibly the one person who wouldn't flip out completely at finding a real mermaid. Hmm. All sounds rather convinient put like that, doesn't it?

Oh well. No sense in complaining, really. I survived unscathed and for that I'm very grateful. Only it's been five years now. The time for gratitude's passed and I may be alive, but I'm bored beyond belief at the same time.

I crave change.

* * *

I propelled myself through the cool water and to the other side of the tank, emerging with my jade green hair plastered around my face. My fingers - the nails painted a dazzingly emerald to match - curled around the tank wall, allowing me to peer into the dimly lit basement. There was once a kitchen down here, I remembered nostagically. That was before it got shifted upstairs, along with plenty of other things that were needed up there. Now, I was surrounded by the crazy, sometimes unfinished and always baffling science experiments that used to be dotted all around the house.

Just in front of me a strange, neon green liquid in a large flask was bubbling merrily away. Books were strewn all over the place as the one solitary bookshelf was over-flowing and a blank chalk board hung on the wall opposite. It hadn't been written on for entire seasons.

Footsteps echoed along the stairs to the basement, getting steadily closer and closer. Light footsteps. Very light. Smiling to myself, I sunk beneath the water's surface until my head was submerged and I was out of sight.

_This should be fun..._

The steps sounded distant to my ears, but I could just about sense them approaching. "GAH!" I leapt from the water with a cry, dissolving into giggles as a small figure with messy black hair reeled backwards. His shock didn't last long. Apparently, the novelty of having a mermaid living in your house wears off after a certain time. Even if you _are_ just three years old.

Felix glared at me through amethyst eyes. "S'not funny, Leia," he mumbled, trying hard to look annoyed.

Still giggling, I paddled calmly to the edge while Felix waved at me with a chubby fist. He was smiling now. Admittedly, I don't really know many human children, but I think it's safe to say that he's a cute one. And he's quite smart for his age, too, which I suppose he gets from his parents. Especially his father.

"Mom's got somethin' important to talk to you 'bout, Leia," Felix told me excitedly. So excitedly, in fact, that he bounced up and down as he spoke. I got half-way through saying, "Well, that's interesting', when I heard someone else traipsing down the stairs.

"Mommy?" Felix questioned eagerly. He spun around, his little face breaking into a grin as figure appeared in the basement. A figure with wavy, blonde hair, messy clothes and those same lilac eyes.

"Yes, hon. It's me," she assured him, adjusting her glasses and offering a weary smile.

Then, I noticed the bundle clutched in her arms. "How's Will doing?" I asked softly.

"Still being his usual grumpy, grizzly self," she sighed.

Baby William was the youngest of Flora and Daryl's two sons. It's weird to think that they weren't even a couple when I arrived here, let alone married. As far as I can recall, they barely even knew each other back then. I say that because, while Daryl was definitely in love with the _idea_ of Flora, I don't think he really planned anything beyond simply watching and obsessing over her. Luckily, she actually turned out to be a better match for him than he ever could have dreamed. Than _I_ ever could have dreamed even! And so five years later, after being informed that girls (to the best of my mermaid knowledge) didn't like being stalked, Daryl had acquired a fast growing family.

...While I hung around the basement hoping that by some miracle I'd regain the ability to swim in strong currents. No... but that was ungrateful of me. I should have been thankful that Daryl took me in, that Flora didn't freak out about having another woman in the house... not _moaning_ about them. They helped me and I was sure I'd be free again one day. I _would _be_. _

Flora grabbed a chair with her free hand and came to sit in front of me. She bounced William on her knee as he watched me with fascination. Unlike his elder brother, he hasn't quite got to the stage where supposedly mythical fish-women are totally normal. I reached out a hand and playfully ruffled his sandy curls. Thankfully, the droplets that ran down his face as a result succeeded in making him laugh, not cry.

I have to say, Flora looked rather relieved. "You're ever so good with the kids," she told me earnestly.

But I only shrugged. "Well, I have a tail and can breathe under water," I pointed out jokingly. "Apparently, that's pretty cool." Felix laughed in agreement, before skipping off to his mother's side. He couldn't clamber onto her lap because of Will, but he leant heavily against her.

"_You're_ cool too, Mommy," he said, with all the innocence of a little child. Flora's eyes met mine briefly and I knew in an instant that we were thinking the same thing: _You won't be saying that when you're sixteen._

"What was it that you wanted to talk to me about, then?" I enquired, still biting back a chuckle.

"Oh yes!" Flora had perked up suddenly. "I've got some good news for you, Leia. You know how we've been unsuccessful in helping you back home so far?"

I nodded grimly as memories came flooding back. Memories of various failed attempts that had plagued the last few years. Failed attempts where I'd struggled helplessly against the current at the beach, my tail not strong enough to withstand the harsh waves. "Have you found a solution?" I asked her hopefully.

"Well, we believe so, yes," Flora explained. She looked rather flustered, but pleased at the same time.

Felix's usually sweet face was rearranged into a scowl all of a sudden. "Is Leia... leaving?" he puzzled, evidently confused. Both Flora and I chose to ignore this comment. Personally, I didn't want to tempt fate by saying yes. And that answer had only one result, anyway: a temper tantrum.

"I can't believe it," I whispered instead, swimming from one end of the tank to the other, and back again. "And it must be great for you, too. What with me here, playing strawberry and all."

There was a short silence in which I realised I'd mixed up one of those baffling human phrases again. Even little Felix sniggered. "Umm... I think you mean playing gooseberry," Flora corrected me. "And don't be so silly. I've never thought of you that way. No, it's _you_ this must be fantastic for, Leia. You're twenty-one now, at the peak of your life. How old is that in mermaid years?"

"Er... twenty-one."

Flora blushed an adorable shade of light pink. "Oh," she stammered. "I just thought - you know - because dogs - " My eyebrows shot up at that. I knew full well that Flora hadn't meant it _that_ way, but it was kind of an instinctive reaction. As realisation dawned on Flora, her face grew steadily pinker. She never went red, I mused as the thought occured to me. Probably too pale for that. "Sorry, sorry," she muttered hurriedly. "I didn't mean - "

"I know," I cut through her gently. I was honestly more interested in thinking about my impending freedom. The great return to the ocean of which I'd been fantasizing over for years. It was such an exciting prospect that I felt almost dizzy just thinking about it. But I had to be sure that this time was for real. There had been many an incident where a cure had been found... only for things to go a bit haywire at the last minute. "Are you absolutely sure that it's going to work this time?" I wondered aloud, aware that my voice sounded almost pleading.

Flora nodded her head enthusiastically. Her hair looked frizzier than ever and I knew that only happened when she was feeling genuinely optimistic. "We're almost certain," the ex-archeologist gabbled. "Well I say we, but it's all Daryl's doing really. To be honest, I don't really understand how he's done it. It's this liquid solution and it can be injected into your tail... I - I think. You'll really have to ask him about it. He's the expert after all..."

After a while, I stopped listening and simply let her words wash over me the way waves wash over the sand. The very image of it brought a playful grin to my lips. Soon, I knew I would feel the waves wash over _me_, just as it was always intended.

The only slight niggle I felt came from observing Felix's solemn face, while he listened to the conversation between his mother and I. I could tell he'd miss me. Truthfully, I felt likewise, but knew that I could always visit. And as for little William, well... it wasn't as though he'd even remember me. Soon, I'd become nothing more than a story to be told by his older brother.

That night, I dreamt of nothing, but my future. The waves and the water and the family who've probably lost all hope of seeing me again. I thought of it all with an eager anticipation that reformed as fierce determination. Freedom was now well within my grasp... and nothing was going to get in the way of it.


	2. Chapter 2: Moment Of Truth

**Disclaimer:** Harvest Moon does not belong to me.

**Author's note: **Sorry for the delay on this second chapter! I've been bogged down with exams, but the good news is that they're nearly over. I can't wait! Anyway, thank you to those who reviewed and enjoy the chapter. Things are set to get a lot darker after this one...

Chapter 2 - Moment Of Truth

"Aw c'mon, Leia," Felix pleaded. His little fingers were curled around the edge of the tank, as he danced from one foot to the other. "Tell me the story. Please!"

I simply chuckled, too amused to do much else. "I have done," I pointed out eventually. "I must have told you it hundreds of times by now, Felix. Don't you get bored?" That was a stupid question, really. I should have known he'd never get bored after only the fifth re-telling in about as many minutes.

"Oh go on, Leia," Felix begged. "Tell it, please tell it. It's _such_ a good story and you're _such_ a good storyteller."

_"You're_ such a little flatterer," I retorted swiftly. But as there was nothing else to do and I _did_ love the look of awe on Felix's face, I decided to give in. "Fine, _fine_," I sighed theatrically, as he gave a joyous whoop and scampered away to sit in the nearest chair.

I hauled myself from the water, swinging my tail around so I could carefully perch on the tank's edge. Droplets fell from my hair and tail and they ran down my body, causing large, round puddles on the tiled floor.

Felix was watching me eagerly, so I gave a rather imperious, joking cough to clear my throat. Then I giggled. "Come _on," _Felix demanded, growing more and more impatient by the second.

"Right, right, right," I said in my most commanding tone. Actually, it wasn't all that great and I ended up giggling again. But I was quick to compose myself, as Felix's young face was turning thundery. "Here we go. Once upon a time..."

Felix interrupted me with such ferocity that I very nearly tumbled backwards into the tank. "No!" he insisted, as I hastily righted myself. "No, Daddy says real stories don't start like that. That's only for fairytales and _they_ aren't real."

Suddenly, I got what he was saying. "And my story _is_ real," I concluded proudly. Yes, bizarre though it truly was, my twisted tale was one hundred percent fact. "Okay then..." I said preparing to start again. "It all happened about five years ago, when I was a young mermaid and you weren't even born."

"Storms weren't very common in the region where I lived. And actually, it was one of the most peaceful places around. I knew _of_ places where storms, typhoons and that sort of thing were common, but not where _I_ lived..."

It occured to me, as I spoke and Felix dutifully listened, that he was a rather intelligent boy for his age. At only three, he already seemed to understand words such as 'typhoon', which would leave most children confused. Severely so, even. As I said before, he definitely takes after his father. Now Daryl, as you should have already guessed, is a scientist - hence why he didn't have any problem with taking in a washed up mermaid. To him, I must have been some sort of scientific gold mine. I mean, it's not everyday you can claim to have a mythical creature living in your basement, is it?

Anyway, I have an inkling that Felix might turn to a career in science when he grows older. He's got such an inquisitive mind, always questioning each and every little thing. Of course, he may just follow in his mother's footsteps and end up as an archeologist, unearthing pieces of history for a living. Or maybe that'll be William...? My mind spun, as I imagined the boys older and more independent. Only when I realised that I wouldn't be around to see it, did my thoughts come crashing down with a bump.

"...And, er, that's how I ended up on Forget-Me-Not beach." I finished up the story of my journey here much more hastily than usual. Felix seemed to pick up on my reluctance.

He gave me a small smile. "That was nice, Leia," he said carefully, looking less than impressed.

"Well, you've heard it about five hundred times," I pointed out childishly. His purple eyes widened liked saucers, as I stuck out my pointed, cat-like tongue. If I wasn't being immature before, I certainly was now. It doesn't really matter though; it's not like I'm his mother. I'm more of a... big sister.

Yeah, I liked that idea. Not too much responsibility and you don't become the bad guy when it's their bed time or they're being forced to eat their vegetables. You're the one they come and moan to instead. You're the sympathiser. The friend, even.

Felix leapt from his chair, a playful glint in his eyes and mischevious smile tugging at his lips. I knew full well what that meant. Before I had chance to react, he jumped forward, swishing his hand through the water to splash at me. I let out a wounded yelp, without even considering how stupid that was - why on earth should water bother me? - and quickly fought back. My tail may be too weak for proper swimming, but it's still great in a simple water fight. One small flick and Felix was drenched from head to toe. His usually wild black hair was completely plastered to his face and his clothes were dripping.

It was a wonder, really, how Daryl managed to cross the basement floor without once slipping a few minutes later. Neither I nor Felix heard his approach, due to our hearty enthusiasm in the water fight. It was steadily rising in volume and, for a moment, Daryl simply stood and blinked his huge, black eyes at the pair of us. He may be a _scientific_ genius, but socially? ...Not so much.

When at last Felix noticed his father, he looked very grateful that his wet clothes were not commented on. So was I, to be honest. "Hello, Daddy," he cried, flashing a perfectly angelical smile. "I'm going to see Mommy," he told us, adding, "Bye-bye, Leia," as he scampered up the stairs.

Daryl watched the scene in bewilderment. He turned to look at space where his son had disappeared, and I noticed a distinctly proud look flash across his face. The second he focused his attentions on me, however, it had vanished.

"Hello, Daryl," I said meekly, paddling over to the wall of the tank and looking over the top. My eyes were drawn to large silver plate he balanced on one hand - or, more importantly, what lay on it. My nostrils were assaulted by the sharp, salty tang of my ultimate favourite delicacy, fish. The one the sat before me was particularly plump. "Ooh, thank you!" I breathed, reaching eagerly forward to accept my meal. Actually, I used to cook for both myself and Daryl - though it was only _ever_ fish on the menu - until he married Flora and the kitchen was whisked upstairs into the newly modernised house.

As I hungrily devoured the food, Daryl sat opposite me in Felix's abandoned chair. "Flora made it," he told me matter-of-factly with a curt nod, as though simply stating the weather conditions. I nodded back, while trying to hide the inevitable grin that came from hearing him say Flora's name. He had a horrible habit of blushing at the same time as pronouncing it very slowly and precariously, like it was a sacred gem.

It was that which brought me to realise his feelings for Flora when I first came here. Once I'd befriended Drayl enough to be trusted, it was Flora this and Flora that almost constantly. Of course, I'd never actually met the girl - but I felt as though I knew her intimately. Daryl certainly did, which was rather worrying at the time. I knew she was an archeologist. I knew, judging from what Daryl said, that she was pretty. She was young. Her eyes were unusually coloured. Her hair was wild and strawberry blonde. I knew all this because Daryl spoke of her each and every day. And not once did he avoid blushing.

"The solution will be ready for tomorrow morning," Daryl explained, jogging me back to the present.

I sat stunned for a moment, as excitement surged through me. That soon? I'd known it was nearly prepared, but still...

I reached up to place the empty platter on the tank's edge, catching Daryl's eye at the same. "For my tail?" I asked him softly. It was a struggle to contain my bubbling enthusiasm now. "I'll be able to swim again? Properly?"

His eyes flew away from mine, but I knew him well enough to know that that was only a social thing. It meant nothing. "You should be able to, yes," he confirmed. "I'm certain it'll work this time.

"I'll be free..." I whispered to myself, spinning gracefully in the water. When I looked around, Daryl was standing, the empty plate grasped in his hands. He was leaving. "See you tomorrow, then," I smiled, savouring the thought of my impending release from the tank. It was a dizzying, wonderful idea.

He nodded once again and turned to leave, only to falter suddenly at the foot of the stairs. "What?" I wondered aloud as he looked around at me, an odd, unreadable expression on his face.

"Leia," he began awkwardly, looking anywhere _but_ me. "Earlier with Felix, what was that, er - ?"

"Oh, the waterfight? Yeah, that's..." I felt the same impish smile Felix had worn pulling at my own lips. "...A big sister thing."

* * *

They were all here. And by all, I literally mean _all._ The next morning, my normally quiet basement was looking much more cramped than usual. Flora, Felix and William had also squashed in to watch Daryl administer the injection. I honestly wasn't sure whether to feel embarrassed at the attention or grateful for their support.

Gawped at was probably the best description, I decided eventually. Felix kept staring at me with a very puzzling expression on his face, one which I just couldn't figure out. I wondered if it was anything to do with me leaving, but I couldn't be sure. And I didn't like to ask when I was feeling so queasy from nerves. Even the idea of simply opening my mouth was nauseating enough.

Daryl was taking ages in getting the solution ready. He kept measuring things and tutting and holding strange instruments up to the light. Flora and I, neither of us being scientsists of any sort, frequently exchanged confused glances. But, whenever her husband looked at her and her cheeks flooded that telling shade of pink, she only had eyes for him.

"It's done," he announced at long last and, even though no one had been speaking, the room seemed to fall into a far deeper silence. Baby William's meaningless gurgles were even cut off, as he craned his head to peer at the syringe in his father's hand.

I couldn't stop staring at it either. The liquid inside was clear and neon-bright. Suddenly, I realised what that flask of bubbling, green acid that used to sit on a desk opposite my tank really was.

"Are you ready, Leia?" Daryl questioned me, his face just as pale as mine felt.

"Yeah... I guess so." There was no point in hanging around, after all. And I'd wanted this so badly and for so long, that I couldn't really tell why I was feeling so anxious. The needle _was_ huge, though, it was _bound_ to hurt...

My eyes were soon squeezed tightly shut. I no longer cared that Flora and Daryl were watching. I didn't even care that little Felix could see my fear. All I wanted was for it to be over, over, _over_... And then it was.

Distantly, I heard Daryl say, "There!", and, after gingerly opening one eye, I noticed that he was drawing backwards. Also - to my great relief - the syringe was now empty of liquid. Hah - and I hadn't even felt it!

Felix scooted forward and hooked his chubby fingers over the tank's wall. "Did it hurt you, Leia?" he lisped sorrowfully, to which I shook my head.

"Not at all," I assured him. "Didn't even feel it..." But then I stopped. _Didn't even feel it..._ the words echoed horribly in my mind. It was relief not to feel the needle, but not so much of one to feel the lack of sensation below my waist. Worryingly - very worryingly, seeing as it was keeping me afloat - my tail seemed to have seized up completely.

"Daryl..." I gasped, thrashing my way towards the very front of the tank. "Is this... supposed...to - to... happen."

"The sensation should last only a moment," he told me grimly. _A moment?_ I thought wildly. _Could I cope with even that?_ And I wasn't sure 'sensation' was the right word either. It was the total lack of it that was bothering me, to be honest.

After a few agonising minutes of clinging to the side for dear life, the 'sensation' passed. Relief washed over me, only for anxiety to replace it. There was only one question on everyone's mind now: had it actually worked?

Daryl was the first to break the silence. "I don't know how long it'll take," he said quietly, "but, hopefully, you'll feel some strength return to your tail soon. That's the plan, anyway."

"Well, no time like the present," I chuckled nervously. Perhaps it my imagination, but I was almost certain I could feel a tiny surge of power run from my waist down to the very tip of my tail. It was a very light and barely noticeable feeling... it was _almost_ as if my tail was slowly coming back to life.

"How do you feel?" Flora asked tentatively, shifting Will a little as he tried to pull on her hair. "Is there any change at all?"

I nodded shortly, not wanting to get their hopes up too much. It would be so much easier if they all just disappeared and left me to figure this out for myself. "I - I think so," I concluded, sounding just as wary as Flora had done.

They clearly weren't leaving and I knew there was only one way to prove if the injection had worked. As another, more powerful jolt surged through me, my determination was only intensified.

Ignoring the others, I silently flicked my tail upwards and brought it crashing down against the water's surface. Usually, that results in only a minor splash, but today was different. Instead, a piercing _thwack_ reverberated off the dingy basement walls and droplets flew high into the air. Felix's awe-filled face was fixed resolutely on the tiled ceiling. I followed his glance and felt my face cracking into an identical, wide grin. The sludge grey tiles were dripping with moisture.

I was left speechless with disbelief. It worked. It truly worked.


	3. Chapter 3: The Faintest Glimmer

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Harvest Moon.

**Author's note: **Apologies for yet another, even longer delay in posting this chapter. I won't bore you with the usual excuses. Anyway, much thanks, as always, to those who reviewed last time: **Awesome Rapidash** and **Ruler of Fanfiction**; so sorry for keeping you waiting! Reviews are always valued and appreciated, so I'd love to hear what anyone has to say about the story aaand... that's it, I think.

Happy New year! Enjoy!

Chapter 3 - The Faintest Glimmer

Sadly, Daryl's wonder solution didn't last for ever. After a paltry two hours, my new found strength started to slip away. I tried to cling to it, told myself I was simply imagining things, just tired. But, deep down, I knew the signs of failure.

_Another_ one.

Daryl stomped off upstairs, shaking his head in disbelief and muttering under his breath. He was taking the sensible course of action, I knew, and would probably be working out what went wrong within the hour. Flora just said she was sorry again and again, unable to meet my eyes. We fell into an uncomfortable silence, until baby William woke up in her arms and started shrieking to be fed, providing her with the perfect excuse to follow Daryl upstairs. That left little Felix.

While his parents were present, he'd been unusually quiet, keeping his head bowed and only really speaking when spoken to. But now that it was just the two of us, I imagined he would be lured out of his shell. As could be said for almost everything today, however, it didn't quite work out like that.

Felix tip-toed towards the tank and hoisted himself up to peer over the edge. I leaned forward expectantly. I've honestly no idea what I _thought_ he was going to tell me, but it certainly wasn't _that_. His breath tickled my earlobe, and then came this nervous, wispy voice I wasn't used to hearing: "I'm _glad_ you're not leaving, Leia."

Glad?! The fact that he was three years-old, my _best_ friend, got lost in the midst of my raw disappointment. The injection failing was like a real loss to me; I was supposed to be going _home._

Felix jumped down at the same time as I drew backwards, ruining the effect I was aiming for. Then, he did something I'd been dreading and smiled at me. You can't exactly stay mad with a beaming toddler, can you? I couldn't, in spite of what had just happened.

Flora's voice floated downstairs, calling him up for lunch. "Bye Felix," I tried, as he vanished up the steps. My voice sounded more monotonous than cheery.

After a further few hours spent aimlessly mooching around, Daryl brought down my lunch - the usual fish platter. Even the salty scent creeping up my nostrils, sweet and alluring as it was, couldn't lift my mood. Daryl left, wordlessly, but I barely touched the food. Instead, I sank to the floor of the tank, angry, frustrated tears mingling with the cool water.

It's funny. When I was on the verge of leaving, we were just like a real family, happy and content. Now that I'm staying, they've all gone. Now I'm just the freak in the basement.

* * *

_"Mom?"_

_She was near, I could feel her. The water pulsed all around me, telling me I was finally home. For a moment, I allowed myself to hover there, trying to take it all in. Everything seemed a little too distant, a little too bright._

_Nevertheless, I pushed forward determinedly. My strokes were perfect, so perfect, in fact, that I feared losing them to the current. Silly really. Why should I worry about that?_

_And where was she? Plumes of emerald seaweed loomed above me, but I brushed it aside as if it wasn't even real. It didn't feel as slimy as I expected._

_"Mom?" I called again._

_No reply. Familiar scenes flashed by me, but it was all jumbled up and none of it seemed quite... _right._ The current was growing more powerful by the second. I tried twisting around to get my bearings; it was hopeless. My body was too weak, my vision obscured._

_"Leia... Leia... "_

_"Mom?"_

_"Leia!" The voice sounded closer suddenly, booming then fading. And it was the wrong voice. _

_I thrashed one last time, before quickly rising towards the surface. Sunlight trickled below the waves, guiding me along..._

"Leia?"

Felix was gawping at me as I emerged, blinking and gasping, from the depths of the tank. Not the ocean, the tank. And it was not the sun beaming down above me, but a flickering bulb swinging from the ceiling.

"Mornin' Leia. Were you asleep?" he asked shyly.

"Mmm," I mumbled, sinking back until I was up to my chin in water. "Had a funny dream," I explained, and I shook my head in the hope of shaking it off completely. It had been so very vivid. Painfully vivid.

But little Felix's eyes positively shone at the prospect. "Oh oh! I had a _really_ funny dream once," he told me eagerly, obviously thinking I meant 'comical' when I said 'funny'. "Yeah, there were all these pink sheep, mommy and daddy and you were all there. Not Will, though. We were at home, I think. Well, it was _like_ home, but... not quite, you know?"

_Yes, I know, Felix,_ I thought. _More than you could ever imagine._

But I indulged him with a smile and said encouragingly, "Go on. What happened next?"

Despite the occasional bright spot, I was pretty much all doom and gloom for the few weeks following our failure. I don't know exactly why, but I honestly, wholeheartily - however you want to put it - _believed_ that it would work. This time would be different, I thought. But then, that's what I think everytime. Otherwise, what's the point?

Eventually, I realised that there were far worse things which could have happened. As I always do... in the end. So, I wouldn't be leaving right away? It wasn't so awful, it's not as though the world had stopped spinning.

And, strangely enough, as soon as I started to look on the brightside, I was hit by a huge stroke of luck.

I was drifting around, by myself, one day when I heard this almighty clatter overhead. I'm not sure what time it was; keeping track isn't exactly easy in the basement and I've never got the hang of that round, ticking machine Daryl keeps on the wall, with the _hands_ and the numbers - and _I_ don't know.

Anyway, there was a resounding _crash_, _thump_, _thud_ and then finally the unmistakeable sound of hurried footsteps flying down the stairs towards me.

Flora appeared breathlessly in the threshold, her cheeks flushed and her hair wilder than ever - and that's saying something. "What on earth's going on?" I demanded to know. She was grinning from ear to ear, so it couldn't be anything too awful.

"We've cracked it, we really have!" Flora dashed over and knelt in front of me so we were eye to eye. I knew precisely what she was referring to, of course. Perhaps I didn't look as impressed as she'd hoped because she hastily added, "I know we've said it before, but this time - "

" - Is different," I finished, forgetting my promise to be upbeat. "I know, I know, I've heard it before."

I was wrong, however, in thinking that this would deter Flora. She shook her head as if shaking my worries away like they were merely a minor obstacle. "No, Leia," she insisted and beckoned me forward conspirationally as though we were - oh, what's that phrase? - _girlfriends_ or something. "I'll tell why this time is different, shall I?" she murmured. I nodded, too curious to argue. "Well, _this_ time..." She paused dramatically. "..._I've_ come up with the solution."

_"You?"_ I didn't mean to sound quite that incredulous, but it somehow slipped out.

Flora laughed. "Yes, me! Not Daryl, _me."_ From her tone you'd have thought she'd just made a massively significant scientific discovery, not simply aided a mermaid with a dodgy tail. _Hopefully. _Musn't get _too_ excited. Not yet, anyway.

"So what's the plan brainbox?" I asked, making her giggle.

"Okay," said Flora, "you know that I used to be an archeologist?" Of course I did. When I first arrived in the Valley, Daryl would never refer to his beloved by name. I don't know who he thought I, of all people, was going to blab to, but for weeks she was simply known as The Pretty Archeologist.

"Yeah. So?" I'll admit that I didn't quite see what relevance this had.

Not that Flora seemed to mind. I think she loved explaining it to me, and getting to be the clever one for once. "Now there's a mine here in Forget-Me-Not, biggest one in the area, and that, as I'm sure you've guessed, is where I worked. We didn't really unearth much, but - "

"We?"

"That is, my colleague and I," Flora explained hurriedly. It might have been my imagination, but she appeared a little unnerved by that question. "Er... anyway, we weren't very successful, but there were a few interesting finds in amongst the usual rubble. And though we never thought anything of it at the time, several substances discovered there could potentially be very useful in helping you, Leia."

I waited, imagining there would be more, some breakthrough worthy of all the excitement - but Flora had apparently finished. That was it. That tiny glimmer was all she had to tell me. I bobbled up and down in the water, not knowing what to say.

"It doesn't sound that impressive, I realise," Flora began, "but - "

"No, no," I interjected, trying so hard to sound grateful. "It's better than nothing, right?" And it was only as I actually said the wrods, that I began to realise just how true they were. A glimmer, however faint it is, has to be better than no hope at all. When put like that, it made me seem like a spoilt child.

"Thank you, Flora," I said sheepishly. "For everything."

"Great!" Flora beamed and leaped up so excitedly that her glasses fell sideways. She righted them, while practically running towards the stairs. "I'll go and tell Daryl we're all set for tonight, then." Her face appeared around the door one last time. "That is, of course, if you can watch Will and Felix for us?"

I said I would before I'd even considered it.

"Wonderful," she called over her shoulder. "Daryl and I will head out to the mine this evening..."

"WHAT?" My tail thumped the water's surface with an indignant crash, sending droplets raining down all over me. "Flora!" I yelled. "FLORA!" Either she was out of earshot or ignoring me.

Just _perfect._ I couldn't help feeling oddly panicked by the whole situation. Firstly, because I'd never looked after the boys by myself and who knew how long they'd be, and secondly because it was, well, _plain ridiculous._ And for some reason, it simply made me uneasy. Why at night? Why _to_night? Why?

Unless... they _needed_ the cover of darkness. Unless they weren't supposed to be there at all.

That thought didn't make me feel any better. I submerged myself completely, torn between one flimsy chance of freedom, the so-called glimmer of hope, and the queasy feeling which had settled in my stomach.

But my reservations didn't matter, I realised, when Daryl came downstairs to confirm what Flora had said. "It'll all be quite routine," he informed me in his regular matter-of-fact manner. "We won't be very long." Apparently, Flora knew the mines 'like the back of her hand'.

Before I could truly grasp what was going on, Daryl was half-way out of the door and Flora was running some last minute babysitting stuff by me. She placed a white, plastic box with a jutting arial on the chair beside the tank. "That's the baby monitor," she explained, smiling at my bemusement. "It means that you'll be able to hear William if he cries. _Not_ that he will. He's probably down for the night and we'll only be an hour or two at most."

I tried to interrupt, "Are you - are you absolutely sure about this, Flora?" She just smiled and had followed Daryl before we could even address the issue. And it was only then that it occured to me that I knew nothing - nothing _at all_ - about babies. Sure, I'd hear him if he cried, but what then...?

Felix stumbled into the basement wearing his favourite dinosaur pyjamas. I sighed wearily and paddled over. "Shouldn't you be in bed by now, young man?" Actually, I had no idea what time it was or even when his bedtime was supposed to be. It was just something I'd heard Flora saying.

Felix burst out laughing. "Don't be silly, Leia. _You're_ in charge tonight."

I tried to frown, I honestly did. I tried to be stern and motherly, but I couldn't seem to manage it. "Now Felix," I said, barely suppressing a grin. "You _know_ your mom'll kill me if you're still up when she gets home."

He giggled again and jumped up on chair next to the baby monitor. "Oh, but you could escape from her, no problem. You'd grab the cure and then start swimming and swimming and never look back." He said it as a joke, but neither of us could bring ourselves to laugh.

"I don't know about never looking back, Felix," I mumbled. "I'll always visit, you know that."

I couldn't bear to look at him, didn't want to see his sweet, disappointed face. I tried to impress him instead, performing a quick front flip in the water. Felix only stared at me, then, to my horror, starting making this horrible sniffling noise. I froze awkwardly; he'd never cried in front of me before. Not like this.

But then... I had to do something. I was the adult, after all. "There there, Felix." I leaned forward and dabbed his wet cheek to no effect whatsoever. When I'd finished, his cheeks were damper than ever. "Look," I tried. "In a few years time I'll just be a memory, o-okay? You won't even remember my name."

Mercifully, Felix sniffed hugely and nodded - whether he believed me or not.

"Good boy!" I grinned. "Now, off to bed before mommy kills me?" He even managed a tiny chuckle as he ambled off obediently, only to pause a second later.

I drew a sharp breath when he stopped by the stairs. "You're not crying are you, Leia?" he asked.

_"Noo!"_ I said, laughing almost, and waved him away like a naughty child. And it was the truth.

Almost.


	4. Chapter 4: My Worst Nightmare

**Disclaimer: **Harvest Moon is still not, and won't ever be, mine.

**Author's note: **Argh!! Another late update; I'm so sorry! No real excuses, just a lack of inspiration, combined with being a very slooow writer. Not a good combination! : ) I'm also sorry that this is such a short chapter; it might not seem like it right now, but it's actually a pretty important one. Anyway, thank you **Awesome Rapidash** for your continued reviews and support.

Chapter 4 - My Worst Nightmare

Sixty seconds of unknowing bliss followed my waking. No more, no less.

It was during that time that I remembered nothing, imagining that I was waking up on a perfectly typical day. And it was after that, that my day began a steady, but drastic decline, of which there would likely be no return.

I lay comfortably at the bottom of my tank, awake, but with my eyes firmly closed, trying to recapture the last remnants of sleep. Then it hit me. I had just woken up, hence I had, at some point, fallen asleep. I was also supposed to be babysitting infants.

Hence, I had fallen asleep babysitting. _Not_ good.

Within seconds I had uncurled myself, shot towards the surface and peered into the semi-darkness of the basement. It was frustratingly empty.

What to do, what to do?

I spotted the baby monitor sat nearby and groped for it hopefully. There were no alarming squeals or high-pitched wails being emitted; everything _seemed_ well. But maybe I wasn't holding it close enough to hear. Human technology has never made any sense to me.

Tentatively, I pressed the monitor tightly to my ear and very nearly dropped it into the water when I heard, as close as if he was right there next to me, the steady rhythmn of baby William's breathing. At least I could be certain he was fine. Well. Either that or a mouse had crawled inside.

"Now to find Felix... " I muttered.

"...Leia...?"

"Felix?!" I glanced around wildly, imagining that he was about to dart out from behind a bookcase or a desk. There was so much clutter in the basement, he could be just about anywhere.

"Leia... is that you?" I jumped at his voice. It sounded nearby and kind of... crackly.

The baby monitor nearly did make a splash then. I brought it up to my lips and whispered, "Hey, Felix. Are you, um, sat with William by any chance?" It seemed too unreal, the fact that that we could _possibly_ be communicating so easily.

"Yep. 'Course I am." There was something weird about his voice, a definite thickness I couldn't help but notice. "Leia. Where are mommy and daddy?"

_Oh Goddessss..._ "Erm..." I choked on the words, struggling to force them out. "I - I don't know," I said honestly. That was the one question I'd been dreading. How long had I been asleep? A few minutes? A few hours? A _lot_ of hours? Perhaps Daryl and Flora had returned without my knowing and perhaps, somehow, they'd missed Felix too. Or perhaps I was just being wistful.

They weren't supposed to be at that mine, were they? They must have been caught or hurt or... or...

But whatever had happened, I couldn't forget that they'd done it for _me._ It was my fault.

"Can you... can you come downstairs, Felix?" I muttered into the monitor. He didn't answer, but only moments later I heard soft footsteps on the stairs. Felix emerged, his hair ruffled more than ever and, yes, his eyes definitely a shade redder than they should have been. The sight of him alone sent a pulse of fear shooting through my body. Everything became that bit more real, and I came to realise that, for the time being, at least_, I _was in charge.

_Me. _A twenty-one year-old mermaid, with no experience of the human world beyond these four walls. A girl, who only knew how to play the big sister. Not the mother; I was barely old enough to bear a child myself and whole oceans away in terms of maturity.

I may have been helplessly lost, but so was Felix. He padded over to the edge of the tank and peered wordlessly at me. Usually he can babble on for ever about any subject imaginable; today he was frighteningly silent. "How's William?" I asked, because it seemed logical and much easier to focus on than tricky emotions.

"Sleepin'."

Relief flooded through me, only to vanish at his next words.

"But he'll be awake soon. He'll be hungry."

_Of course. _Food. My eyes wouldn't focus, and neither would my brain. Somehow the simplest, most basic need imaginable had thrown me completely into the wilderness. I knew then that I was no use to anyone; not in this world. What could I do? If Flora and Daryl didn't come back... well, I didn't even want to consider that possibility.

And as I pushed that thought back into the very depths of my mind, I saw Felix's expectant face swimming back into startling focus. The fact that he needed me overrode everything else - however briefly. I leaned towards him, forcing a smile which he struggled to return. "What about you, Felix?" I asked, as upbeat as I could. "Are _you_ hungry?"

A faint blush crept into his cheeks. "A little," he admitted, his voice a thread of a whisper.

I forced myself to ignore the stabbing, searing pain that tore fleetingly through my chest at his words. The smile was becoming increasingly hard to sustain. "Well, I'm afraid the menu is fish only." It was a joke - one with more than the faintest ring of truth; I choked out a laugh. "Sardines for breakfast, tuna for lunch and cod supper to finish off."

His grin finally became genuine; a tentative giggle followed. "What about dessert?"

"Oh. Didn't think about that." Mermaids don't really _do_ dessert. I thought of Flora, of every fragment of every conversation between us, hoping to pick up something motherly. "Fish... ice cream? Fish jelly?"

Felix collapsed amidst giggles._ "Eeeww!"_

"Sounds alright to me..." I mused.

The babymonitor burst into life, suddenly, with one sharp cry and a long, low wail that didn't seem as though it would ever end. We both jumped, wrenched from our happy reverie. I soared through the water, one arm outstretched, like I knew _exactly_ what I was doing.

The gesture was there, the good intention real enough. But it was all for nothing; I could do _nothing_.

"I think he wants his food," Felix told me plaintively.

"Yeah, I think so to." My voice sounded every inch as childlike as his. _I was only twenty-one. _"Go and fetch William, Felix."

"Huh?" _And he was only three. _

"Go on. No, wait - are you allowed to carry him?"

Felix shook his head slowly. "No," he said. "Only if I'm sat on mommy's lap." The persistent cries were still pressing against my eardrums, and I was quickly beginning to feel claustrophobic.

"Leia?" Felix asked me fearfully. "What are we going to do?"

What _I_ wanted to do was the only thing that had ever come naturally to me. I simply wanted to swim, as fast and as far away as physically possible. I wanted to escape this growing nightmare. But, for a number of reasons, that was impossible. Reason number one stood quivering before me and reason number two was still shrieking away upstairs.

So, taking a sharp gulp of air which burned all the way down my throat, I reached out shakily and hauled myself out of the water. The falling and landing on the other side was the most agonising part by far; Felix jumped back silently, while I mentally cursed the whole situation.

You know, the amount of times I'd ventured upstairs could be counted on one hand. And I'd never done it with only a toddler for assistance, either.

Being out of water... it was like missing a limb or a vital organ. It was like missing your heart. I used my arms to push myself upright, hating the labour of every motion and the slick, wet floor tiles I just couldn't grip.

"Come on, Leia!" Felix smiled. His fly-away hair was plastered to his forehead where I'd accidently splashed him. "Didn't mom tell you what to do if William cried?"

I thought back furiously over Flora's instructions, then sighed. "She said he wouldn't... "

She also promised that they'd only be gone for an hour or two. At most. What she _didn't_ tell me was probably the imformation I needed the most: what to do if they didn't actually come back.

_But they would._ I tried to remember that. Goddess knows how deep that mine was! So what if they were a little late? It was to be expected. Flora never told me what to do if they didn't return because she knew that it would never come true. And she was right.

Just as I reached out, smiling hopefully, to grasp Felix's hand we heard the tell-tale metallic squeal of the front door swinging wide open above us...

* * *

**A/N - **I know, I know, it's very brief! Thankfully, though, the Chapter 5 is already partly complete, so the next update shouldn't take me too long. Especially considering that I have two weeks off school (Yay!). _Finally, _reviews would be greatly appreciated and valued if you have the time to leave them. I'd love some more feedback for this story so I know how to improve it. Thanks for reading.


	5. Chapter 5: Love

**Disclaimer:** Harvest Moon is not mine.

**Author's Note: **Sorry, once again, that this chapter is so very late. It's certainly different from the previous ones, but equally as important in the long run. So stick with it! :) Thank you, **Awesome Rapidash **for reviewing. I'm extremely grateful!

Chapter 5 - Love

When I hear the faint _click_ of the lock above me, it is because my ears are anxiously tuned in to even the softest shufflings, and, unsurprisingly, relief is the one overriding emotion.

I never would've imagined that I'd actually _miss_ a pair of humans, but I guess this is the proof.

A few days, that's all it's been. Seventy-two hours, maybe? You know you're living with a couple of science freaks when you start living your life through the restriction of numbers. And if you're me, you know you've lost your soul. But how can you live by the sun and moon, the wind and the waves when they're as good as dead to you?

The lamp on the ceiling flickers suddenly, then throws the basment into sharp focus. It's amazing really, how hours of continual darkness can make even the dimmest of bulbs dazzle. Which makes me wonder... Will _they_ look different?

"Leia, _Leia!" _

Flora sure _sounds_ the same - giddy and breathless as ever. "Flora, _Flora!"_ I yell back, mockingly, as she careers down the stairs and into view. "So did you do it?"

"Of course!" She falls to her knees in front of the tank and flashes her fingers at me, where a gold band is gleaming proudly. I realise then that she _does_ look different, if you choose to search hard enough. It's her eyes. And her smile. They're different - _changed,_ to be more specific. Something about her is just glowing. "It was... well, everything I've ever wanted. I wish you could've been there, Leia." A delicate pink blush transforms her cheeks, the colour of pleasure.

"Me too," I admit, regretfully. Human weddings have become a recent fascination of mine; Flora's talked of nothing else for weeks and left me feeling a little bitter, honestly, at being left out. I almost wish she _hadn't_ tried to keep me involved, despite knowing I would have to miss the main event. "Where's the groom?" I ask, then wonder if that's the correct word.

"Upstairs, checking that everything's 'in order'."

We roll our eyes like the oldest of friends. "Of course it is," I giggle, falling back against the water's welcome surface. "I've been the only one in the house for three days and, to be honest, I find the stairs a bit of a challenge. Anyway, I suppose everyone in town was too busy celebrating your wedding to be breaking in..."

At this Flora falls silent, eyes glazed with memories no doubt. "Yes, of course. It was a _great_ celebration."

I'm eager to hear more; everything in fact. The questions are lingering hungrily on the tip of my tongue, when I notice the startling contrast between her white cheeks and the dark bags under her eyes. It'll have to wait.

* * *

Of course I can't help but wonder why they took three whole _days_ getting married. Granted, I'm a complete novice when it comes to human customs, but... three days? That's one huge party.

Flora now spends most of her time sitting around in the basement with Daryl, helping out with all his experiments. You can tell she never quite understands what's going on - and she's told me as much - but that doesn't seem to matter anymore.

She's now his assistant. A vial, a book, a pen even - all fetched with a smile and perhaps a kiss if he's lucky. They _are_ different. Flora lived here before the wedding, but she was never this involved. I'm not jealous. Just... a little unsettled, maybe.

Daryl and I used to talk all the time when he worked in the basement. Well, I did anyway; non-stop about my life back home. Daryl mainly listened and asked the occasional question. In fact I've never seen anyone get so excited about the uses of fish scales in medicine. Honestly!

But everything's so different now. I always wished that Daryl would get his girl and live happily ever after, but I never stopped to consider how it would affect me.

Is that selfish?

"You do know you're always welcome here, don't you Leia?" Flora tells me, again and again. "You're family, okay?"

I smile and nod and laugh, of course, but inside I'm thinking: _home_.

* * *

"When can I see the, um... the... _photographs,_ then?" The wedding ceremony was weeks ago and still I've seen no actual evidence of its existence. Photographs - or photos, as they're also known - are just amazing. Daryl told me _all _about them months ago, including how humans use them to capture particularly special moments. And what could be more special than a wedding?

Either something has distracted Flora or she's choosing to ignore me. "Flora?" I ask again. "Wedding photos?"

She glances up from her chair beside the tank and tells me, in a weirdly distant voice, "I was sick this morning..."

"Oh... uh, okay." _Don't humans share just the _strangest _of things? _And still I don't have an answer to my question. "Flora? When... can... I... see... the... _pictures?" _I speak very slowly, as this seems to be the only way of forcing her to pay attention.

And it works... partly. "What pictures?"

"Wedding ones! _Your_ wedding, remember?"

"Oh," she says. "There aren't any."

I don't know exactly why - the odd secrecy, the faraway look in her eye, the fact that it seems so utterly implausible - but I refuse to believe her. "Well, if you don't want to show me them, then just say so... "

"Show you_ what?!" _

I shouldn't ignore the sharp snap of her voice and I certainly shouldn't answer back. I probably shouldn't even open my mouth at all, but I do and the words slide out unckecked. "Your _wedding,_ for Goddess sake!"

But Flora, almost in _tears_ for some reason, leaps to her feet. "It's not all about _you,_ Leia!" she cries, and then rushes from the room, leaving behind the heavy weight of silence in her wake.

Finding out exactly what I've done wrong takes a little while, but it is certainly a _most_ satisfactory conclusion. The answer? _Nothing_.

"It's just Flora," Daryl tells me, when I'm skulking, semi-submerged in water, a few days later. "Well. You see, the thing is... she's feeling slightly hormonal at the moment."

I wait for a further explanation that never comes. Apparently, this_ is _it. And if he's hinting at something, then I'm _definitely_ not getting it. "So... is she ill then?"

"Not exactly."

Why Daryl has to be so cryptic about everything I'll never know, but, after many more heavy hints and misunderstandings, I finally discover the truth of the matter. Flora isn't sick or particularly angry with me.

She's pregnant or, if you like, expecting, 'with child'; however you want to put it, it means my place in this expanding family is even less certain. Outwardly, I'm ecstatic for them, but inside I feel that same selfish jealousy rising once again.

* * *

"Did you know that the baby's heart started beating at about four weeks? And by eight its face was recognisably human?"

"No, and recognisable to who exactly?" I answer. Quietly. Flora's been trotting out these crazy pregnancy facts for the past eight months and now I think about it, I'm almost _certain_ I've heard those two before.

"Okay then..." I hear her flicking through a heavy hardback balanced precariously on that gigantic baby bump. As she witters on and on, I float on my back, staring upwards and imagining stars where there are really murky, grey ceiling tiles. The constellations don't quite seem to fit anymore - my memory twists things - but I find my own beauty there. The shape of waves, seashells, dolphins, the features of my mother's face...

"Leia."

I can still see her, so clearly sometimes that a thread of joy and longing shudders along my spine. And at night her voice rings out in my dreams, as if she were swimming right beside me...

_"Leia!" _

_Flora. _"What?" I say, snapping upright and holding out little hope that this latest baby-related fact will be worth it.

But when I glance over, the book lies discarded on the floor.

And fear, of an intensity I haven't experienced for _years _now, surfaces at the look etched painfully on her face. It is surely the mirror image of the one written across mine right now.

"Leia... it's... it's not right..." she rambles. "Too early... _no_..."

I try to convince myself that Flora's just imagining things, that she hasn't gone into an early labour, that it's all just a horrible dream turned nightmare. But of course that doesn't work. In spite of what I'd like to believe, I find myself screaming Daryl's name over and over with growing urgency.

He races down the stairs - _eventually -_ trips over his coat on the last one, but somehow manages to reach his panting wife in one piece. A long sigh escapes me and I fall into a relieved heap against the tank wall - but it's shortlived.

"...Are you sure? He's not due for another four weeks..."

"Of _course_ I am - " It's sounds as though she's gritting her teeth. " - And what do you mean _he?! _It could be a girl, you know... aaaA_ARGH!"_

At that, I plunge below the water's surface until all I hear is a warbled mix of sounds and voices; she yells as if she's _dying,_ for Goddess sake. When I gingerly return above water, Daryl is white-faced and clutching Flora's hand, while fat tears roll down her cheeks. "It's not fair," she sobs. "I'm not ready yet, I can't _do_ this! I was supposed to be staying with Nina for the birth and now... _now..._ What are we going to do, Daryl? What if... what if...?"

"It'll be fine, I promise," he tells her. I look into his face, hoping and praying for some shred of reassurance, and finding none. Daryl, who is always calm if exciteable, unemotional if idealistic, looks, for the first time in memory, utterly terrified. Even when he found me, a _mermaid _stranded on that beach, he barely raised an eyebrow. But now...

Whether she believes him or not, Flora merely nods, too pained to even speak. "Please..." she begs, gripping his hand tighter. "Fetch Nina for me. We can't do this by ourselves, Daryl. Something might go wrong, and I'd never forgive myself if it did."

"I know, I know, but what about - ?" he trails off suddenly, and their heads swing around in unison to focus squarely on me, the Mermaid in the Basement. _The Problem,_ to be more specific. Because that's the golden rule; I _cannot _be seen.

"I'll stay below the surface," I promise wildly. "Or maybe you can get upstairs, Flora? Or - "

It's enough, anyway, because Daryl races for the stairs with barely a backward glance, promising that he won't be long. As soon as the door slams shut above us, Flora throws out her hand to me. I'm out of that tank in a second, of course, crouched dripping beside her.

This is one of these truly surreal moments in life, where everything speeds up too much, too fast, and it's all just a blur. All I can do is grip her hand as she screams through the latest contraction and try, though I know it's futile, to keep her calm.

We talk about names. Felix for a boy; Hope for a girl. Hope was her mother's name and Felix... well, she just likes it. I ask which she'd rather, a son or a daughter?

"Either, in the circumstances."

"It'll be fine, Flora," I insist, though I've not a _clue_ if it actually will be. She tries to smile, I think, but it comes out as a grimace. Then, another crippling spasm hits and our conversation is quickly forgotten.

The contractions are getting much closer now. And I'm no expert, but surely that can't be good news?

"Oh, come _on,_ Daryl," Flora cries, as she struggles for breath. "Where the _hell _is he? Ohh... _Goddessss..."_

Only now do I realise that he won't make it. This baby is coming sooner rather than later, and I've got no way of slowing down the process. Daryl's not here, but that doesn't mean time has stood still. _If only_.

"Flora? You know what to do, right?"

"Oh, no no no _no,"_ she whimpers, her eyes squeezed shut. "Nooo... Not yet, _please_. Where's Daryl?"

I'm trembling harder than she is, but I shuffle forwards and help her off the chair. "I - I don't think he's going to make it," I stammer. "The baby it's... there's nothing I can do... you're going to have to... push?"

Flora laughs strangely, startling me. "I guess those motherhood books did rub off on you, huh?"

"Yeah, I guess they did."

And so, armed with only a few towels and a dozen books I can't actually read, _he_ arrives in amongst the shrieks and agony. He - _Felix_ - is damp and alien and ugly; and at the same time so, _so_ beautiful. But he's also tiny, _very_ tiny...

"My baby," Flora breathes through her tears.

He's very quiet, too.

"He's... not breathing, Flora," I whisper, frozen. "He's... oh, Goddess, Felix."

Just like that, time _does _stand still. Every second becomes an hour, every minute a lifetime. I feel as though I'll never stop hearing Flora's anguished howls, begging me to do something. _Begging_ me to save her baby.

_Please... don't leave us... _

I hold his fragile body close to mine and wipe the mucus away from his mouth and nose. I try to pretend I know precisely what I'm doing, when in fact I've _never_ been more scared in all my life.

_Please, Felix... just breathe... breathe..._

Nothing. And then - _then - _the sweetest explosion of noise I'll ever hear. Felix _cries,_ thank Goddess! Flora's still hysterical, but I don't hear her anymore. For a moment, everything stays still and - mercifully - not_ at all _silent.

* * *

**A/N - **Okay, so that might _seem _like a pretty random chapter, but hopefully everything will click together in the end. I intend to write a few more of these snapshot-style interludes in the future, but we'll be back in the present next time. Thanks for reading and don't forget to leave a review!


	6. Chapter 6: Into Darkness

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Harvest Moon.

**Author's Note: **I knew that this would be a difficult chapter to write, but I didn't guess that it would be _this_ hard! Took me a while to get this one right and I'm pretty pleased with it... so yeah, it was worth it. :) A big thank you to **Awesome Rapidash** for reviewing, of course; feedback is always greatly appreciated and valued. Enjoy (even though it actually gets a bit darker from here on in...).

Chapter 6 - Into Darkness

Felix let out a hiss of delight at the sound of his parents' return and flew across the basement floor. I merely smiled as his hand slipped from mine, believing that life as normal - the one I had often complained about - was finally,_ thankfully _back. And, just maybe, the ever-elusive cure was at last heading my way...

"Mommy," he breathed, betraying just how much he'd really missed them. "Daddy!"

His left foot was on the bottom step, his hand reaching for the railing, posied to run and greet them, when I first realised that something wasn't right. The water turned eerily still around me as I felt my whole body freeze to stone. "Felix... _sshh!" _I murmured, beckoning him back.

If we stayed utterly silent, a dull rumble of voices and slow, measured footsteps could be detected overhead. And, believe me, after five years in the basement I could tell it wasn't Daryl and Flora up there. Why hadn't they called to me? Why hadn't Daryl come searching for his son? Why couldn't I hear Flora soothing her baby?

_Oh, Goddess... Will... _

"Leia?" Felix's voice was little more than a wobble. His eyes widened impossibly and his chin tilted nervously towards the ceiling. "That's not mommy... "

_My thoughts exactly. _I considered yelling out their names, to be totally certain, but stopped just short. Ultimately, I couldn't summon up the courage to draw attention to myself. And Felix. He was stood as close to me as physically possible. If it wasn't for the tank wall which separated us, he'd have been in the water with me, I swear.

"Leia?" he whispered, again. "Who's in our house?"

* * *

As a child my mother blamed my bold nature on all the trouble I wound up in. I was the girl who just had to find out what was hiding around that last corner and wouldn't hear of heading home until she knew. I made certain that any secret, unknown caverns didn't stay that way for long, collected old coins and human relics... You couldn't say I was _brave _exactly because I never saw the danger in my adventures. And that's not real bravery; merely curiousity with a definite dose of foolishness thrown in.

Of course, that side of my personality had become as good as dead here, slowly withered away by constant confinement. Sometimes in the middle of the night, when I just couldn't fall asleep, my hopeful dreams fell away and the reality of returning to the ocean froze in my blood. And then I was scared. Then, I almost didn't want to leave.

Because as much as I wanted to return home, it was suddenly _too _much, if you see what I mean. Five years is a very long time, I realised, and the vast expanse of water out there seemed inconcieveably large now. My tank, with its surrounding 'view', may have been tiny, may have been boring - but it held no nasty surprises. I guess it was... safe.

When did that happen to me? When did I start fearing the unknown?

* * *

"I don't know, Felix," I admitted. I wanted to say something, _anything,_ far more reassuring than that, but my thoughts were whirling faster and faster, out of my control. It was wild panic, like I hadn't felt since the terrifying night when Felix was born.

_What if... what if... what if...? _My mind was awash with possibilities, each more horrifying than the last. What if they were thieves, here to swipe Daryl's latest brilliant invention? What if we got in their way; what happened _then?_ And what if it was _us_ they were here for, all along?

A sudden voice: "I'm not sure. It's pretty creepy, though, I'll say that..." At the sound of an unfamiliar male, my heart jumped into my mouth. I couldn't think. Or else I was trying to work out too _many _thoughts, too quickly.

One vital memory stood out in my mind:_ "No one can see you, Leia," Daryl said. "Ever."_ That was before Flora and his two sons came along, but they became the exceptions, and the rule still applied to outsiders.

"Just remember the children," added a quiet, female voice, as I heard the slow approach of footsteps on the stairs. _Strangers in the house... thieves... murderers... _They could be _anyone, _I thought - in Flora's voice, echoing her fears. But... that woman, her words or her soft voice stirred _something_ unreachable in the back of my mind. A memory? She didn't scream 'murderer', either, though what did I know?

Beside me, Felix whimpered.

Without warning, and at the same time as two figures ducked into the basement, he scrambled in one fluid motion onto the nearest chair and then again onto the very edge of the tank. If nothing else, this served as a brief distraction from the impending nightmare closing in around us. At three-and-a-half, he couldn't swim, but this didn't stop him launching himself, rabbit-like and with unexpected strength, towards the water's surface. Into my arms, presumably.

I just about managed to grab him, before he sunk like a stone. Across from us, staring openly at the scene of a boy clutching his mermaid friend, were a couple of the strangest humans _I'd _ever seen. One was a man and one was a woman; they were both, I guessed, considerably older than Flora and Daryl. The man was wearing a long, white coat, similar to Daryl's, but a lot shorter, leaving his legs bare. This was the least of my concerns. My eyes were pulled to his bald head where the skin was twisted by a huge scar, snaking right through the space where his left eye _should _have been. Instead, a frightening metal contraption, reminding me of Daryl's lab creations, blinked out at us from the socket. Felix held me tighter, soaking himself in the process.

As for the tiny woman stood beside him... I realised, with a sudden jolt, that I _did _recognise her. Her hair escaped a red and black polka-dot hat in white, wispy tufts. She was older even than the man beside her, who was pretty old himself, in my opinion. She was Nina, the old woman who was supposed to deliver Felix, but didn't quite make it in time. I remember how I was just passing his damp, frail body to Flora, when she and Daryl finally arrived. That was how I spotted her; in a fleeting moment as I dived back into the tank and she accompanied Flora and the baby upstairs_. And Flora mouthed, _'Thank You'_,_ _over her shoulder... _

Forcing myself back to the present, I recognised a sleepy-eyed, William, balanced on her hip.

The odd man was gawking rather obviously at me. He drew his eyes - well, _eye_ - away and shook his head slowly, emphatically. "What did I tell you?" he muttered to Nina. "Absolute _freaks!" _I'd never heard that last word before, but the tone alone told me it couldn't mean anything good.

"Doctor Hardy," Nina chided, shooting him look of warning. She went to take a small step towards me; I moved backwards unconciously. We both stopped. "What's your name?" she inquired, almost politely. "I'm Nina."

I heard the Doctor snort, but ignored him. Personally, I didn't want to tell these strangers anything; the less _they_ know the better, Daryl used to say. 'They' referred to anyone outside the tight circle of safety that was our family. Danger lurked on all sides and I had somehow fallen right into the middle of it.

"Well?" Nina prompted, suddenly smiling so warmly that I was disarmed.

"Leia," I offered. "I'm... Leia." _So she knew my name? What harm could that do?_

"Very pretty," Doctor Hardy said quietly, and I wasn't sure whether or not he actually meant it. Again, something about his tone made me wither.

"And you're Felix, of course," Nina continued sweetly, as if Hardy had not spoken at all. I paused and waited for Felix to reply, but he stayed mute. I felt as his body shook with either the fear or the cold. My bet was fear.

"Yes," I answered tightly. "This is Felix." She knew that already, of course, but nodded slightly and beamed again. I didn't know why she was being so kind to us, when Daryl had warned me over and over that all other humans were a threat to me. To the family as a whole. She seemed so_ kind, _though...

Then the truth exploded: "I think, Felix, you'd better come here, to me," she said, arms outstretched.

_"No!"_ he squeaked, and reared back.

"Where are Flora and Daryl?" I demanded. "Why haven't they come home?"

"Home?" Hardy cut in. "_Home?!_ This place is more of a circus than that freakshow down the road - "

Every winter the air in the basement dropped several degrees in one night. _Seriously_ - every winter, without fail, the air just froze. And when I gasped, sucking in his words, it felt like that same ice had invaded my body, tingling even in the tips of my fingers as if on one of those bitter winter mornings - despite the fact that I _knew _it was only late summer outside.

"Where are they?" I repeated, in the deadliest voice I could manage. "Please." I didn't want to beg; but then I wasn't asking for myself, was I?

Silence followed, and I recognised its sound instantly. It was one of those special lulls that Daryl and Flora resorted to when a potential cure had failed miserably and they couldn't bear to tell me; heavy, prolonged, unnecessary. Terrifying.

In the end, it was Felix who drew the truth out of them by finally re-discovering his voice. He squirmed free of my grip and scrambled to edge of the tank. "Where's my mommy and daddy?" he asked, his voice more steady than I had expected. The question was too innocent to ignore: "Are they coming home soon?"

Nina hesitated a moment too long; I couldn't help noticing that her eyes refused to meet Felix's, even for a second. "Well, they've... the mine, it was... no one could... _I'm sorry," _she concluded eventually, leaving us more confused than ever. I caught Hardy's eye over Felix's head, and watched in agony as he mouthed two words I had no trouble understanding.

"They're dead."

* * *

So it's true what they say: you honestly don't know what you've got, until it's too late. I don't know why I'm saying _they,_ when I actually mean Flora. She put that thought to me years ago, a few days after Felix had been born not breathing. He was more beautiful than I'd ever imagined. I'll admit that I was expecting little more than a squawking, screeching torture machine in the months leading up to his birth. But that was before I realised that he could cry all day if he liked and it would still be preferable to the deathly silence left behind.

Flora knew exactly how near she'd come to losing him. How could any mother forget? _I _certainly couldn't, and he wasn't even my kid. She would sit in front of me, cradling him in her arms while Daryl worked in the background. "You don't know what you've got until it's gone," she told me. "Or nearly gone. I can't believe how close I came to..." She trailed off, unwilling to put that possibility into words.

For the first few weeks, she was so protective of little Felix that all I ever caught was the occasional glimpse of tufty black hair and startlingly violet eyes.

One afternoon, when he was only a couple of months old, Flora sat him before the tank in his baby chair; I forget where she went. It was for no more than hour, but, I swear, that was all it took for him to love me - and I'm not one to boast, honestly! We played a game. All I did was bob up and down, up and down, ducking my head into the water, only to emerge pulling a funny face, but he giggled every single time. I realised, that day, that I had slotted unconciously in the role of 'big sister'.

Even if Flora couldn't always be there for him, I promised myself that I would be - forgetting, temporarily, that I was planning to leave as soon as possible. _I will protect you,_ I thought, suddenly not recalling that I couldn't. _Always_.

* * *

"H-How?" I forced out, because it seemed the most sensible thing to ask, even though I didn't believe even a _word _of what Doctor Hardy had announced. No _no._ Daryl's sentiment stirred in the depths of my memory: _you can't trust any other humans, Leia. _ThoughI bet he never thought I'd need it...

Felix jumped from the tank to the chair beside it, where he stood dripping. Nina reached for him with her free hand, but he stiffened and I saw her draw back slowly. What Hardy had mouthed wasn't - _couldn't _be- true, though I felt a sudden swell of proctectiveness for Felix.

It was Doctor Hardy who answered me. "There was a suspected cave-in at the Valley mine. That place hasn't been safe for years." He shook his head regretfully as my heart began to pump ever faster, until I felt so sick I could barely breathe. "We don't know exactly what happened, only that a fatally injured woman was discovered late yesterday night by a young farmer. He got her to safety as best he could, called me to the scene... but by the time I got there she was already dead."

_Dead... _I scarcely even acknowledged the word as it washed over me. "And Daryl?" I prompted, woodenly.

"Oh, we found him a little later." Hardy hastily cleared his throat. "He was already... erm, gone. I'm sorry."

_Sorry... _So was I, but it couldn't reverse what had already been said and done. For that, I found no suitable reply.

When Hardy spoke again, there was a softness to his tone that had been noticeably absent before. "I know this must - must be difficult for you, but this is something we _do_ really need to know." I nodded, bewildered. "Do you know of any relatives Daryl and Flora had? People we can contact?"

_He thought _I _knew?! _I was almost surprised, then, to realise that in all the time I'd known them, neither Flora nor Daryl had ever mentioned their own, original families. Their focus was solely on the new one, created together. Of course, I myself had hardly been forthcoming, either.

"Flora mentioned a mother once, who she lost as a little girl," I explained. "And Daryl, he only ever told me about his anscestors."

Doctor Hardy sighed. "That figures," he muttered.

"Why does it matter?" I snapped, suddenly lashing out in my desire to hurt the very person who'd brought my world crashing down. "Shouldn't you be _relieved?"_

"What?"

"Well, who wants to break news like _this?" _I sniffed, cracking on the last word.

He stepped forward swiftly, loomed over me until I sank back. "I meant," he clarified in an undertone, "someone we can contact for the sake of the _boys._ Someone who can take them in, a guardian. It's not like they can stay here, is it?"

I understood _that _plain enough. "But there's no one," I answered, thinking back to the close-knit network of family and friends I had back home. "No grandparents, no aunties or uncles. No one I know of, anyway." My eyes darted around the doctor and sought Felix who was perched on the edge of his chair, head bowed, as Nina spoke gentle, meaningless words. "Even if there was anyone out there, Felix wouldn't know them. They'd be strangers," I added, realising that family as I thought I knew it had little to do with blood. "What'll happen to the boys now?"

"We'll have to take them." He shrugged, unable to offer anything better or easier; I hicupped helplessly, though it wasn't exactly unexpected. "I'm sure Nina will take them in temporarily. She'd keep 'em permanently, if she could, with a heart as big as her's; but not at her age. She just couldn't manage it."

_What next? _I wanted to ask him. _What will happen to them then? _

But I couldn't.

Selfish as it was, I couldn't even bear to know. The knowledge alone would've been too painful to handle.

When I said nothing, Doctor Hardy turned away, to Nina. He leant over to whisper something in her ear, and Felix took this laspse in attention as an opportunity to jump to his feet on the chair and pitch foward, as if magnetically drawn to my tank. Slowly, like wading through treacle, I'd imagine, I stretched out to brush aside a strand of hair, to reassure him that everything would okay - but then he was pulled back, out of my reach, reminding us both that it was _not_ okay and might never be again.

"Leia?" Felix called to me, as Nina attempted to fold him into her arms. _"Leia!" _

I struggled just to sit there, stony and impassive, refusing to answer him. _This was for the best. _"Leia, I want to _stay!" _he tried, one last time. "Tell them!" Felix's voice faded slightly as Nina helped him up the stairs, but his yells still managed to echo along the stairwell and into the basement.

Doctor Hardy, who was carrying William, strode over. "He does cry a lot," I blurted out, nodding at the baby, "but he doesn't mean anything by it. He's a sweet kid. Well-behaved, mostly..."

Hardy nodded, though I was rambling, and stuffed a hand in his coat pocket. He drew out a small box and made to hand it over. To _me. _"This," he said, "was meant to be for you. The farmer who found them - Jack - he was given it by Flora. She said it was for Leia and that's you, isn't it? I assume you know what it's for?"

"Oh yes." The box burned guiltily through the soft skin of my palm.

When I heard the door slam above me, simultaneously plunging the house into darkness and silence, I finally dared to lift the lid and peer inside. Wedged inside was a small, smooth, electric-blue pebble - nothing out of the ordinary if you'd seen Daryl's lab.

This, then, was the cure, or the beginnings of it. As it was, it was totally useless. I supposed that Daryl and Flora had had some grand plan mapped out - one that may or may not have worked - but now I'd never know, either way. With Felix's pleas still ringing regretfully in my ears, I snapped down the lid, aware that I'd settled for a poor second best.


	7. Chapter 7: Move On, Move Out

**Disclaimer: **Don't own Harvest Moon.

**Author's Note: **I 'm on a roll. First, I post my contest entry well before the deadline, now I update this! :) Of course, the fact that this is a dreadfully late update kind of overshadows everything else, but... at least it's done? Sorry, once again! And thank you to those who reviewed the last chapter (can you even remember it?): **Awesome Rapidash **and** .Amberleaf.**. Your support is appreciated!

Chapter 7 - Move On, Move Out

At first, I assumed that dead didn't mean forever and that at any moment Daryl and Flora would walk through the door. _They didn't._ I thought that Daryl would slot back into the mess and clutter of his lab as if he'd never left it. _He didn't. _I hoped that Flora would skip down the basement steps, with Will bouncing in her arms and Felix chattering away at her heels, just like always. _She didn't._

They were alive. _Only they weren't._

It took an awful lot for me to accept the truth for what it was. Regardless of _how _or _why _or any of the other messy details, it _had _happened, and I suddenly came to realise that I had to live with it. Because, of course, I was still blessed with that option.

So one morning, not long afterwards, I stopped swimming in endless laps around the tank, as though nothing was wrong. I acknowledged the fact that I was hungry and tired and bored. And - hardest both to admit and remedy - I was lonely. I decided to start with the simple things: food. It would've been simpler still, of course, if my little kitchen was still down in the basement, but Daryl was right to move it upstairs. Back in the old days, though, I used to cook on it regularly, almost everyday. It was the one human appliance I truly understood; fish had never tasted so fantastic.

Upstairs - once I'd managed to drag myself there - was another world. It was warm, homely, lived in; the basement below was none of these things. The room was, predictably, a total, unworkable mess. Objects weren't just out of place, it was as though they had never belonged _any_where. When we met, Flora assured me that not all humans were so desperately disorganised. This was apparently the kind of barely contained madness that ensued when an archeologist and an eccentric scientist got together. They were destined for disaster.

But not on this scale.

Through shallow breaths, I glanced at abandoned booties, bibs and bottles; at catastrophe.

That night the water seemed colder, even to me. It's not something a mermaid should be concious of, but I felt the _sting_ of ice clinging to my body. By the morning, I realised that I was mistaking emptiness for coldness, and it was coming from inside _me_, not the water.

If nothing else, I'd learned that solitude was not for me. It drove me _mad._ I hadn't been alone since before Felix was born; that was when they left to get married. But it was only for, what, three days? Hardly the same long stretch I was facing now.

...Or not, of course. I had the cure, and so a last chance of freedom. All that remained was working out how to _use_ it.

Not easy, but maybe not impossible, either. Not when I had all the time in the world...

* * *

Time trickled by oh-so-slowly. That's how it felt in any case. Although, as I didn't listen that one time when Daryl tried to explain clocks to me, for all I knew time was actually whizzing by. There was simply no way of knowing.

Don't assume I was trapped in the house, though. The door wasn't locked; there were plenty of windows dotted about, obscured by stacks of books, toys and lop-sided curtains that never seemed to match. I could leave, but where could I go, if I couldn't properly swim? Felix and William were _hopefully_ still in the Valley somewhere, just out of reach. As I didn't know the first thing about Forget-Me-Not Valley, they may as well have been at the other side of an ocean.

If I could help it, I avoided thinking about them. _Coward. _But then night falls and... you can't escape dreams when there's no one there to wake you.

Daryl's notebook held the answer to my problem. Yes, a tatty, beige notebook he carried around under his arm, muttering and making the occasional memo, turned out more helpful than I could've guessed. On one of my routine journeys upstairs I found it lying, discarded, on his desk:

_Spring 4th - Today's discovery may transpire to be the absolute pinnacle of my career thus far. An age old myth could be truly explored thanks to one moonlit stroll along the beach..._

_Spring 6th - Specimen is weakened, hungry, but not critically injured. Minor damage to the tail, will need to monitor. Seems nervous._

_Spring 7th - She calls herself Leia._

It was odd to see the scariest time of my life discussed so matter-of-factly. Some of the words were beyond my grasp, but the meaning was clear enough. I'd never seen my name written down in human letters before. I didn't know what it _looked _like, only the sound.

Lay-ah.

Back in the tank, I found later entries, dampening the pages as I flicked through. Thankfully, they didn't smudge:

_Summer 17th - We - that is _Flora _and I; she has insisted I mention that it was her idea - may have reached a viable solution! Despite the fact that I have made many a similar entry to this over the last few years, this time is unique and far more likely to be successful._

Someone else had then scrawled: _Show's how you should always listen to your wife! _Flora...Tears were now streaming down my face, and I couldn't think when they'd started.

_The answer is surprisingly simple; the best ones are, of course. When Flora was working up at the dig-site, she came to notice a plant that grew inside, in the darkness, with no water. My initial reaction was disbelief; science states that such a feat cannot be possible. _

_Then again, I was once taught the same thing about mermaids. _

_This strange phenomenom has a number of interesting properties. Firstly, it's not poisonous; it is, in fact, edible. Secondly, in a link to the _first _point, it has useful side effects (hence why Flora witnessed visitors to the mine choosing to eat the plant). It builds strength, increases stamina; in short, it is perfect for what we are trying to achieve. We have no scientific name for the specimen yet. Flora claims it is known simply as Black Grass. Of course there is still a lot of work to be done..._

I snapped the diary shut, my mind swirling like storm tossed ocean. The old, flickering bulb hanging from the ceiling seemed a little less dim somehow. But naturally, a lot of what I'd read just confused me more. What was a 'phenomenon'? And there was another, much more pressing problem, that was growing inside my mind. If Flora's magical cure was a plant called Black Grass, why did I have a blue pebble?

I was missing something. Well, I was missing a lot of things. That night I dreamt of searching for lost pages of the journal. But everywhere I looked - under rocks, amongst a forest of seaweed - I stumbled upon Felix and Will instead. After much frustration, I suddenly realised that they couldn't breathe under water and panicked. Grabbing them both, I paddled desperately for the distant surface - but before I could reach it, I woke up.

The dream was so vivid, I almost expected to find the boys in my arms. But slowly, as sleep fell away, my true surroundings came into focus. Bleak, dark, empty. Then... a voice that made my heart stop: "Hello? Leia?"

Surely I was hallucinating? Come to think of it, when was the last time I ate? On the stairs I heard footsteps so light that I could've been imagining them. But then I saw something so hilarious, that I couldn't _possibly_ have made it up. Felix crashed into the basement, looking... _different._ His explosive black hair had been shockingly hacked at.

"Felix," I laughed, as he rushed over to me, "what have they done to you?"

"Cut my hair!" he moaned. "Now my head feels cold!"

I found myself suppressing a giggle. "Aw, poor Felix," I sympathised, leaning forward to stroke his newly shorn hair. He clambered onto the chair next to the tank, pushing aside the journal and the box which contained the blue stone. As the box toppled, the stone flew out in a flash of blue and bounced across the floor - but I barely even noticed. "Oh, but... what are you _doing_ here?" I asked, frowning.

"We need to pick some stuff up," he explained, his eyes darting around the room, not settling on me.

"Umm, we?"

Sure enough, slower footsteps followed behind his. Wispy, white-haired Nina limped into the basement, breathing heavily. "You okay?" I asked nervously, gliding over.

"Yes," she panted, through a smile. "Fine. Just can't handle the stairs like I used to, y'know?"

Obviously, I didn't. On _so _many levels. But I nodded, anyway, and asked what she was doing here. "I need to collect the rest of the boys' belongings. The sooner it's done the better, really. We all need to move on."

"Move on _where?"_ I _almost _questioned, but couldn't quite bear to know. "Their stuff is all upstairs," I told her instead. "Just me down here, sorry."

Poor thing. She let out a wheezy sigh, before turning once again to the stairs. Felix, however, didn't move to follow her. His fingers gripped the rim of the tank tighter suddenly, turning his knuckles white. "I'll send him up in a minute," I added, and either because she was fine with that or because she was too tired to argue, Nina left silently.

"Lixie..." I hadn't called him that in for ever; he never used to like it. As my hand curled around his cheek, I noticed for the first time that my emerald green nail varnish had faded away completely. Felix pulled away from my touch. "Where's Will?"

"At home," Felix sniffed. "I don't like it there. S'really boring."

I thought that it had to be better than staying _here, _alone. Leaning backwards, I used the tip of my tail to flick water at him. He giggled a little, but not like he used to. I leaned so far back, I turned full circle in the water. "Can't be all bad...?"

"No," he mused, "I get to go out in the day now."

I frowned. "Why would you want to do that?"

"'Cause... " He beckoned me closer, to murmur in my ear, "it's not normal to go out just in the night, like I used to. Everyone pulled faces when I told them about that." His little face looked every bit as disconcerted as I felt. "Why does everyone think we're not normal?"

I had no idea. The baffling world inhabited by humans was unfolding all around me, yet I was finding it more difficult to understand than ever.

My arms flew foward of their own accord and grabbed Felix under the armpits. I let myself fall back into the water with an almighty _crash,_ swinging Felix above my head, so that a high-pitched squeal of terror escaped him. _"What's going on down there?"_ floated down the stairs.

I ignored it, grinning up at him. "Smile, baby."

"Leia!" he giggled nervously. "Please don't drop me!"

"Don't be silly, you know I won't! Don't you trust me?" Placing him back on dry land, I realised that maybe that was the wrong choice of words. His face became pale and ghostly once again, and his tiny smile flickered into nonexistence.

"I used to trust you," he muttered to his shoes, "until you let me take them me away."

And just like that, I went into freefall. My head filled with the most painful moments of my life; even the happy ones were now bittersweet. Through the whirlwind, I could barely hear my own voice saying, "I - I'm sorry - I didn't want it to happen. What could I do? You _couldn't _stay; how could I look after you? Look at me."

Felix glanced up, his deep purple eyes suddenly piercing. "But you can come back with me," he pointed out. "You must, Leia!"

_"Felix!_ Come on, dear," Nina called from upstairs, as my heart sped up.

"There's a space for you, with water and everything. You need to come with me 'cause weird stuff's happening. People whispering, keeping secrets. No one will tell me what's going on, but I _know _something is."

"Like what?" I demanded, although by that point, Nina was already making her slow journey back to the basement.

"Dunno," he admitted, "but..." _Don't say it, don't say it... _"I love you, Leia."

I groaned, half-heartedly. Just like some poor fish, I was trapped in a huge net I hadn't seen coming. Only in my case, perhaps I _had _seen it coming and instinctively refused to swim in the other direction. Perhaps, deep down, I knew that I needed to be caught. "Okay," I sighed, pasting a smile onto my face as Nina walked into the basement. "I'll try..."

So, long story short, I had a new home. Five long years at Daryl's, then _boom!_ I'd moved. Just like that.

To a bathtub.

* * *

**A/N: **And the plot thickens! What's going with the cure? What's the blue pebble actually all about? Most importantly, how will Leia survive in a bathtub?! Thanks for reading and, if you have the time, please feel free to leave a review.


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